Full List: Minister Jacob Oboth Among Candidates Set To Replace Fallen Speaker Jacob Oulanyah
By Uganda Online Media
Kampala: West Budama member of parliament and minister of state for Defence, Jacob Oboth Oboth is yet to resign his position as a minister to contest for the speakership of the 11th Parliament.
The office fell vacant after its holder Jacob Oulanyah died over the weekend in Seattle, USA. Under the law, no business can be conducted in the House when the office of the speaker is vacant.
According to NRM CEC, the election of the speaker is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 25 after the Caucus that is set for Thursday 24th March 2022.
NRM MPs wishing to vie for the position must pick forms from the party headquarters before the end of today (March 22) and Jacob Oboth is among those expected at the NRM Secretariat.
Oboth said he will consider resigning from the cabinet after the NRM has decided on the matter and will be batting with other candidates in the race including the following;
Anita Among
Anita Among who is the deputy Speaker of parliament and has been chairing most of the sittings in 11th parliament is her Jacob Oulanyah has been absent since his election in office.
She is the woman MP of Bukedea district having joined Parliament in 2016 and she has picked nomination forms to fill up to replace her deceased boss.
Rebecca Kadaga
the First Deputy prime minister and also Minister of East Africa who is the former speaker of parliament Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga is expected to bounce back to occupy the seat and battle for the same seat though she is yet to confirm.
Minister Hilary Onek
The minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, and Palabek County MP is also expected to express his interest in the speaker seat.
Theodore Ssekikubo
The Lweiyaga county legislator informed journalists Theodore Ssekikubo has also expressed interest in replacing the fallen speaker among other contenders.
Abdu Katuntu
Katuntu is a practicing lawyer, having received an LLB from Makerere University and a DIP, LP (LDC) from the Law Development Centre. He is a former member of the Pan-African Parliament from Uganda and the Rapporteur of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
The election and swearing-in of the new Speaker of Parliament of Uganda is expected to be conducted on Tuesday 29th March 2022.
Meanwhile, the government Chief Whip, Thomas Tayebwa who was expected to be part of the speakership race has confirmed that he will not contest for the position as earlier reported in the media.
”I wish to thank you, Honourable colleagues, for the calls you have made to me to contest for the position of Speaker of Parliament after the unfortunate passing of our senior Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah. This shows you appreciate the work we are doing and it energizes us to do more. However, i want to inform you that I WILL NOT BE EXPRESSING INTEREST FOR THE POSITION OF SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT. I call on honorable colleagues members of Parliament and the nation to remain united as we mourn our fallen hero,” Tayebwa wrote on Twitter.
